Lexical Summary
taam: Taste, discernment, judgment, understanding
Original Word:טַעַם
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:ta`am
Pronunciation:tah-am
Phonetic Spelling:(tah'-am)
KJV: advice, behaviour, decree, discretion, judgment, reason, taste, understanding
NASB:taste, discernment, decree, discreet, discretion, flavor, sanity
Word Origin:[fromH2938 (טָּעַם - taste)]
1. (properly) a taste, i.e. (figuratively) perception
2. (by implication) intelligence
3. (transitively) a mandate
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
advice, behavior, decree, discretion, judgment, reason, taste, understanding
Fromta'am; properly, a taste, i.e. (figuratively) perception; by implication, intelligence; transitively, a mandate -- advice, behaviour, decree, discretion, judgment, reason, taste, understanding.
see HEBREWta'am
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
taamDefinitiontaste, judgment
NASB Translationdecree (1), discernment (3), discreet (1), discretion (1), flavor (1), sanity (1), taste (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Jeremiah 48:11 — absolute
Job 6:6;
Psalm 119:66;
Proverbs 11:22;
Proverbs 26:16; construct
Numbers 11:8 2t.; suffix
Exodus 16:31 4t.;
1 Samuel 25:33; —
taste of mannaExodus 16:31 (P),Numbers 11:8 (JE), compareNumbers 11:8; in juice of purslainJob 6:6; of Moab under figure of wineJeremiah 48:11 ("" ).
figurativejudgement, discretion, discernment,1 Samuel 25:33;Proverbs 11:22Job 12:20, soPsalm 119:66;Proverbs 26:16those answering discretion, i.e. discreetly:change, disguise one's judgement, sense1 Samuel 21:13;Psalm 34:1, of David feigning madness.
(late Aramaism, compareDaniel 3:10 etc.)decision, decreeJonah 3:7.
Topical Lexicon
Range of Meaningטַעַם (taʿam) embraces both the sensory act of tasting and the moral-intellectual faculty of discernment. Scripture freely moves between these senses, teaching that what the tongue detects in food mirrors what the heart and mind detect in life and truth.
Literal Taste: Provision, Deprivation, and Complacency
•Exodus 16:31 – Israel finds that manna “tasted like wafers made with honey,” reinforcing the sweetness of divine provision.
•Numbers 11:8 – Its “taste was like that of cakes baked with oil,” highlighting variety in God’s care.
•Job 6:6 – “Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg?” The common palate illustrates the absurdity of hollow counsel.
•Jonah 3:7 – Nineveh must not “taste anything,” using abstention from flavor to dramatize repentance.
•Jeremiah 48:11 – Moab’s unpoured wine keeps its “flavor,” portraying a nation settled into unchallenged self-sufficiency.
Spiritual Delight in the LORD
Psalm 34:8 issues the classic invitation: “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him!” The sense of taste is pressed into service to portray direct, personal experience with God Himself.
Discretion and Wise Conduct
•1 Samuel 25:33 – David blesses Abigail’s “discernment,” crediting her with averting bloodshed.
•Proverbs 11:22 – Beauty without “discretion” is compared to a gold ring in a pig’s snout.
•Proverbs 26:16 – The sluggard scorns seven men who can answer “discreetly,” preferring self-deception to seasoned counsel.
•Psalm 119:66 – “Teach me good judgment and knowledge,” linking discernment with obedience to the commandments.
•Job 12:20 – God “takes away the discernment of elders,” reminding rulers that their wisdom is on loan from Him.
•1 Samuel 21:14 – David’s altered “behavior” before Achish shows how taʿam can denote personal conduct shaped by quick thinking.
Covenant and Community Implications
Israel’s wilderness diet cultivated gratitude; Nineveh’s forced fast displayed contrition; Moab’s unchanged taste condemned stagnation. In every case, טַעַם marks the line between receiving God’s dealings rightly or spiraling into ingratitude, presumption, or judgment.
Forward Echoes in Redemptive History
New Testament writers pick up the imagery: believers have “tasted the heavenly gift” (Hebrews 6:4) and are to “long for the pure spiritual milk… if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3). Old Testament טַעַם therefore foreshadows the believer’s experience of Christ, the true manna and sweetest portion.
Ministry Applications
1. Proclamation – Preach the gospel as living bread that must be tasted, not merely discussed.
2. Discipleship – Cultivate spiritual taste buds through Scripture, prayer, and obedience, so that moral discernment becomes as instinctive as a seasoned palate.
3. Leadership – Pray that God preserve the טַעַם of elders, enabling judgments that reflect His character.
4. Corporate Worship – Use rhythms of fasting and feasting to train congregations to look beyond physical flavor to spiritual reality.
5. Mission – Present God’s provision as both sufficient and delightful, inviting the world to “taste and see.”
In its thirteen appearances, טַעַם binds together appetite and judgment, flavor and wisdom, urging God’s people to savor His goodness and walk in seasoned discernment.
Forms and Transliterations
וְטַ֖עַם וְטַעְמ֖וֹ וטעם וטעמו טַ֝֗עַם טַ֣עַם טַ֭עְמוֹ טַעְמ֔וֹ טַעְמֵ֖ךְ טַעְמוֹ֙ טָֽעַם׃ טעם טעם׃ טעמו טעמך כְּטַ֖עַם כטעם מִטַּ֧עַם מטעם kə·ṭa·‘am kəṭa‘am keTaam miṭ·ṭa·‘am miṭṭa‘am mitTaam ṭa‘·mêḵ ṭa‘·mōw ṭa‘am ṭā‘am ṭa‘mêḵ ṭa‘mōw ṭa·‘am ṭā·‘am Taam taMech taMo veTaam vetaMo wə·ṭa‘·mōw wə·ṭa·‘am wəṭa‘am wəṭa‘mōw
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